Understanding Acupuncture
A billion people use acupuncture every year. Traditional Asian Medicine is the worlds oldest (5,000 of continuous use) and most popular healing modality. Acupuncture skillfully wields the subtle energy of the body to resolve disharmony. Our bodies circulate meridians of energetic qi (pronounced 'chi') which is perhaps best understood with a western mind as electricity. When our meridians circulate poorly, the stagnation leads to a sensation of pain, or it indicates core aspects of our health are weakened. Key acupuncture points along the meridian have great influence over the meridian, it's associated organ, and the entire body. Stimulation of an acupuncture point with a fine needle initiates a healing response in the immediate area needled, in the meridian's associated organ, and globally throughout the body.
✔️ Preparing & Experiencing a Treatment
✔️ Preparing & Experiencing a Treatment
✔️ Complete New Patient Paperwork
(PDF)
Eastern Medicine's Approach to Healing
It takes courage to try something new. Asian Medicine has surfaced to popularity within the last four decades in the United States. Asian medical wisdom is sourced from thousands of years of concise study into the subtle energy of the body and practiced on billions of people for their healing. Across the Asian Pacific Rim it is common to see entire hospitals that are solely providing acupuncture and herbal support; treating nearly every medical condition. For this reason, the World Health Organization conducted substantial research and has endorsed Asian Medicine. From a world-wide perspective, Asian Medicine is one of the oldest, revered, and most common healing modalities.
Embracing a holistic approach to both the body and an individual's unique health state, Asian Medicine has many compassionate strengths. Guiding principles treat the root of a patient's imbalance as well as the branch, diminishing the manifesting symptoms. By cleansing the flow of our meridians, strengthening foundations of our nutritive yin and active yang, we rejuvenate our body to enjoy vibrant energy.
Embracing a holistic approach to both the body and an individual's unique health state, Asian Medicine has many compassionate strengths. Guiding principles treat the root of a patient's imbalance as well as the branch, diminishing the manifesting symptoms. By cleansing the flow of our meridians, strengthening foundations of our nutritive yin and active yang, we rejuvenate our body to enjoy vibrant energy.
Common Concerns About Acupuncture
Is it painful? No. Actually most people feel deeply relaxed by it.
Most people describe it as not at all painful... or not much more than a mosquito bite. There is a common misconception of acupuncture needles as hypodermic needles. In contrast acupuncture needles are 18x slimmer, compared to the diameter of a human hair, causing no to very slight pain. Be assured that our concern is your comfort and you can experience pain free acupuncture.
Is Acupuncture safe? What is 'Dry Needling'?
It's understandably concerning, what we do is on par with surgery. As acupuncturists we have 4 to 6 years+ of extensive and rigorous clinical training. We have at least two years of literal near daily practice on patients in the clinic overseen by Doctors and supervisors before we graduate. We often do integrative clinical internships at hospitals. We are exactly aware of how close our needles are coming to say the lungs or kidneys. This working clinical knowledge makes us professional and safe. Acupuncture needles are sterilized, thin, solid, stainless steel, and safely disposed after a single use. This is our national safety standard and we adhere to it.
What is Dry Needling? A Massive Patient Safety Concern.
Professions that do Dry Needling like to say - it has nothing to do with Asian Medicine. That it supplants silly concepts like 'qi' with sound Western Principles upheld by Science. In truth this is a racist re-writing of Acupuncture and a professional scope infringement which endangers patients. Dry Needling is born from the same technique done in Asian Medicine -done for several hundred thousand years before Dry Needling. It's an acupuncture technique called 'Fire on the Mountain' or simply- typical acupuncture. Dry Needling uses Acupuncture Needles. Dry Needling is billed as Acupuncture for insurance purposes. You may even see a Chiropractor Or PT listed under 'Acupuncture' on your insurance panel- but BEWARE. The big difference is training. Would you want surgery to be performed by someone who studied for a weekend with no gravitas understanding of internal organs? Or do you prefer surgery with someone who studied for 4-6 years on patients regularly with medical insight and clinical oversight? Dry Needlers are only given anywhere from two to ten days training and have the worst patient safety outcomes. Dry Needling is often performed by Physical Therapists or Chiropractors who have NO STUDY of medicine in either western or eastern terms - no understanding of internal organs. They do not know how close acupuncture needles get to organ structures. Dry Needlers are overwhelmingly responsible for the worst patient outcomes and most often responsible for the most organ punctures. You are in far safer hands with an acupuncturist.
Further, there could be nothing more scientific then Asian Medicine - which has been developed on billions of people over 5,000 years. A billion people use it yearly to resolve major health concerns. It treats everything from the common cold to emergency health concerns. There are 4,000 + Asian Medical hospitals employing acupuncture, herbs and lifestyle medicine to resolve every type of medical ailment. It is 4,000 older than 'science' itself. When Acupuncture is studied 'Scientifically' these are often extremely flawed studies because the researchers literally don't know how to study it and out of their own ignorance (or willful racism) bungle it. For example a common flaw is 'sham acupuncture' which studies acupuncture on a channel versus on an acupuncture point. The researchers don't understand the basics of acupuncture - that anyone studying in the first year would come to learn. There is no place on the body that is a 'sham' acupuncture point - it is always on a channel and thus will have an impact. It's like comparing a half Tylenol to a full Tylenol and then suggesting the results are mixed and not significant. Now, in all it's scientific glory, there has been a recent reversal in the 'Scientific literature' stating that sham acupuncture works. Hallelujah.
Does it work?
The World Health Organization and the National Institute of Health endorse it as a healing modality.
Acupuncture is shown to improve health in modern research with fewer undesirable side effects than many western medicines or drastic surgical treatments. Research demonstrates acupuncture can promote stem cell regeneration of tissue, improves circulation, increase anti-inflammatory steroids, balance hormones, stimulate our body to release various neurotransmitters such as serotonin (contributing to a sense of well-being) and endorphins (producing analgesia, pain relieving).
Do you know what you're doing? Absolutely.
I have ten years+ in private practice, served as an acupuncturist for both the Mayo Clinic and Veteran Affairs Medical Center. I'm a licensed acupuncturist by the State of California and by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. California acupuncturist are the best in the nation - we have higher standards than all other states and are trained for 3,000 clinical hours - that's often 2x more than many other states. We have been trained in both eastern and western medicine. We have extensive training in performing safe acupuncture for years in our medical school clinic. Acupuncturists commonly have integrative medical internships, we work increasingly with hospitals, and with the military. We know the subtle path to wellness and can help guide you there.
Most people describe it as not at all painful... or not much more than a mosquito bite. There is a common misconception of acupuncture needles as hypodermic needles. In contrast acupuncture needles are 18x slimmer, compared to the diameter of a human hair, causing no to very slight pain. Be assured that our concern is your comfort and you can experience pain free acupuncture.
Is Acupuncture safe? What is 'Dry Needling'?
It's understandably concerning, what we do is on par with surgery. As acupuncturists we have 4 to 6 years+ of extensive and rigorous clinical training. We have at least two years of literal near daily practice on patients in the clinic overseen by Doctors and supervisors before we graduate. We often do integrative clinical internships at hospitals. We are exactly aware of how close our needles are coming to say the lungs or kidneys. This working clinical knowledge makes us professional and safe. Acupuncture needles are sterilized, thin, solid, stainless steel, and safely disposed after a single use. This is our national safety standard and we adhere to it.
What is Dry Needling? A Massive Patient Safety Concern.
Professions that do Dry Needling like to say - it has nothing to do with Asian Medicine. That it supplants silly concepts like 'qi' with sound Western Principles upheld by Science. In truth this is a racist re-writing of Acupuncture and a professional scope infringement which endangers patients. Dry Needling is born from the same technique done in Asian Medicine -done for several hundred thousand years before Dry Needling. It's an acupuncture technique called 'Fire on the Mountain' or simply- typical acupuncture. Dry Needling uses Acupuncture Needles. Dry Needling is billed as Acupuncture for insurance purposes. You may even see a Chiropractor Or PT listed under 'Acupuncture' on your insurance panel- but BEWARE. The big difference is training. Would you want surgery to be performed by someone who studied for a weekend with no gravitas understanding of internal organs? Or do you prefer surgery with someone who studied for 4-6 years on patients regularly with medical insight and clinical oversight? Dry Needlers are only given anywhere from two to ten days training and have the worst patient safety outcomes. Dry Needling is often performed by Physical Therapists or Chiropractors who have NO STUDY of medicine in either western or eastern terms - no understanding of internal organs. They do not know how close acupuncture needles get to organ structures. Dry Needlers are overwhelmingly responsible for the worst patient outcomes and most often responsible for the most organ punctures. You are in far safer hands with an acupuncturist.
Further, there could be nothing more scientific then Asian Medicine - which has been developed on billions of people over 5,000 years. A billion people use it yearly to resolve major health concerns. It treats everything from the common cold to emergency health concerns. There are 4,000 + Asian Medical hospitals employing acupuncture, herbs and lifestyle medicine to resolve every type of medical ailment. It is 4,000 older than 'science' itself. When Acupuncture is studied 'Scientifically' these are often extremely flawed studies because the researchers literally don't know how to study it and out of their own ignorance (or willful racism) bungle it. For example a common flaw is 'sham acupuncture' which studies acupuncture on a channel versus on an acupuncture point. The researchers don't understand the basics of acupuncture - that anyone studying in the first year would come to learn. There is no place on the body that is a 'sham' acupuncture point - it is always on a channel and thus will have an impact. It's like comparing a half Tylenol to a full Tylenol and then suggesting the results are mixed and not significant. Now, in all it's scientific glory, there has been a recent reversal in the 'Scientific literature' stating that sham acupuncture works. Hallelujah.
Does it work?
The World Health Organization and the National Institute of Health endorse it as a healing modality.
Acupuncture is shown to improve health in modern research with fewer undesirable side effects than many western medicines or drastic surgical treatments. Research demonstrates acupuncture can promote stem cell regeneration of tissue, improves circulation, increase anti-inflammatory steroids, balance hormones, stimulate our body to release various neurotransmitters such as serotonin (contributing to a sense of well-being) and endorphins (producing analgesia, pain relieving).
Do you know what you're doing? Absolutely.
I have ten years+ in private practice, served as an acupuncturist for both the Mayo Clinic and Veteran Affairs Medical Center. I'm a licensed acupuncturist by the State of California and by the National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine. California acupuncturist are the best in the nation - we have higher standards than all other states and are trained for 3,000 clinical hours - that's often 2x more than many other states. We have been trained in both eastern and western medicine. We have extensive training in performing safe acupuncture for years in our medical school clinic. Acupuncturists commonly have integrative medical internships, we work increasingly with hospitals, and with the military. We know the subtle path to wellness and can help guide you there.